Married Life
by Fantasy Cat
Summary: AU but still ZA. The Greene family lives a quiet life in the new world under the rule of the Governor. Not even his new law could deter them. Until tragic circumstances change everything for one of their own and now they make a desperate move to keep their family together. (Bethyl) Rating could go up depending.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer and A/N: First fic for TWD fandom and I have no claims to the characters and such. I appreciate your patience with this fic and all comments and ideas are welcome. I might need it more than you think. Enjoy my AU fic.**

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Nearly two years had gone by since civilization collapsed under the weight of the walker apocalypse. During that course of time the Greene family had witnessed their share of horrors from their own porch. Walkers would occasionally come by the farm but the family managed to find ways to lure them away from the house...but not without its cost. Through time and patience, a light seemed to be appearing at the end of the tunnel. Groups of people from the surrounding areas were organizing an effort to keep the walkers under control and restore order to the area. Some were bandits who were taking advantage of the people. But most of them did turn out to be good people.

The most efficient of these groups were led by a man who called himself The Governor who was stationed in a town called Woodbury. It was clear that most of western Georgia was now looking to him as their new leader as he restored what once resembled a form of government in the area, now dubbed West Georgia Territory, with Woodbury as their capital. Thankfully the Greene farm was far out from Woodbury with only the biweekly visits from the census takers. With walkers still a threat, the population census was constantly being updated. Hershel Greene was reluctant to start trading deals with the Governor and the locals in the area, but they got walker protection in return for a fair exchange of their crops and eggs. Even with a deal like that, there were very few people outside of his close friends and family that he could put any trust into. One of them was Rick Grimes, a former sheriff who was now head of the Walker Patrol in their district. He didn't enjoy working for the Governor anymore than Hershel enjoyed trading with him, but it kept his family fed and since Rick's wife just had another baby, he was willing to comply.

"Mornin' Hershel."

Hershel was surprised to find Rick had driven to his farm to see him. "I take it you're not here for a friendly visit."

"I'm here playing messenger boy for the Gov.," Rick said. "He's got a new law in the books."

"Nothing that will affect my farm, will it?"

Rick rubbed his head. "No...it's your daughters." He handed Hershel a set of papers explaining the new laws. "You might want to sit down and talk with them about this."

...

Maggie set the papers aside in disbelief. "Dad, they can't be serious about this. They want every woman married?"

"Not everyone," said Hershel. "Just those between 18 and 35."

"Why would the Governor want that?"

Hershel sighed. There was only one explanation given the new world. "Procreation...a need to restore the human race. The law also says that all new wives must confirm their pregnancy within 6 months after they're married."

"I don't believe this!"

"What are you so worried about?" asked Beth. "You know Glenn will probably propose to you."

"And what about you? You going to marry Jimmy?"

"If I have to...I guess."

"I don't want you thinkin' about that," said Hershel. "Bethy, you don't turn 18 for months. The law doesn't apply to you yet. I want you to enjoy the time and freedom you still have."

They heard a knock at the door and were surprised to find Glenn standing there. Ever since Maggie met Glenn working at the trading post some months back, they seem to be spending far too much time with one another much to Hershel's discomfort. "Hey...um...I heard about the new law...and I wondering..."

Maggie smiled. "No ring?"

Glenn got nervous. "Well we are kinda in a rush, aren't we? I...I was going to ask your dad first."

"Glenn." Hershel approached him. "This is difficult for me, but given the circumstances...I know that you and Maggie love each other. I trust you."

At that moment, Maggie rushed to Glenn and embraced him. Hershel leaned over to Beth and whispered, "I mean what I said, Bethy. I want to focus on one wedding at a time."

...

A wedding ceremony was not required, just a signed contract. Maggie and Glenn signed theirs the day the law was passed, but they still wanted a small wedding.

But the Greene sisters knew how difficult it would be for their dad. Because the law also required for them to move in with their husbands, Hershel would be losing both of his daughters in a short amount of time. Fortunately Glenn lived near the marketplace, which was only a short walk from the Greene farm.

Even Beth didn't seem all that worried. Since the apocalypse, Jimmy had been living on an adjacent farm with Otis and Patricia who looked after him like a son. The two families had been close since the world came to an end. Even with Beth's 18th birthday getting closer and closer, Hershel wanted to avoid the discussion of marriage when it came to her and Jimmy, law or no law.

On the day of Glenn and Maggie's celebration, Beth thought about the future. Even though she had Jimmy, it made her sad to know that their children would grow up to see marriage not as an act of love but an obligation. "It won't be so bad."

Jimmy seem confused. "What?"

"Getting married...having children...I mean, it's something I've wanted to do someday."

"Yeah, but they shouldn't have to force it on you."

"Things are different, Jimmy. I've come to terms with that. They use to marry off girls younger than me."

"Yeah...back in ancient history."

Beth laughed and then kissed Jimmy on the cheek. "I think we should have a wedding just like this...on my birthday."

Jimmy was always the shy, reluctant type. He was coming to terms with what he would have to do. He hadn't proposed to Beth, yet only because it would be too difficult for Hershel but the two of them had already silently agreed with one another that they would sign the contract together when Beth's birthday came along.

...

Over time, Hershel was feeling a bit more optimistic knowing that both of his daughters would be taken care of. Maggie and Glenn would come by the farm whenever they could to help with the farm. Only two months away from Beth's birthday did they announce that they were having a baby. Beth had made a promise to her father that she would hold off getting pregnant after she and Jimmy got married for as long as she could. It made her grateful that she would have six months to take the next step after signing the papers.

Time was going by faster than she had anticipated. Beth was spending more time on farm work than making wedding preparations. She didn't want to leave her dad with so much work to do once she had to move out. Three weeks before her birthday, she had spent a whole day outside in the field and was surprised to find her family in the living room, along with Glenn and Otis and Patricia. They had worried looks on their faces when Beth saw them but then as they all turned to look at her, she could see the sadness in their eyes.

"What's wrong?" Beth asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Sit down, Bethy." Beth sat at an occupied recliner and Hershel kneeled down next to her. "There was a hoard of walkers near Otis's farm. Jimmy tried to help the patrol lure them away. But...there was a problem..."

She looked around and realized that Jimmy was completely absent from the unexpected family gathering. "Daddy, where's Jimmy?"

No one was saying anything. They were letting their faces do the talking. "There was just too many of them," said Hershel finally. "I'm sorry, Bethy."

Beth looked down at her hands and realized her entire body was shaking. Seconds later, she realized how everyone in the room was staring at her and she dashed upstairs to her room. Only then did she let the tears flow.

Nobody could console Beth because they all had one thought on their mind. "Dad...the marriage law. What are we gonna do?"

Hershel sighed. "I don't know, Maggie. I just don't know."

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**If this seems similar to those Marriage Law fics in Harry Potter, it probably does. Daryl will be in the next chap though. Pinky swear.**


	2. Chapter 2

_'This isn't happening.'_

Beth had been spending a good amount of her days alone in her room unable to cope with being the center of a major family crisis.

_'This is NOT happening.'_

The man she hoped to marry and have children with was now dead. Every day that got closer to her eighteenth birthday was now a day of absolute dread an uncertainty. What was going to happen now? There were many options.

One, she hoped, was getting and extension or maybe not having to follow the law altogether. Hershel had personally driven to Woodbury to plead his case to the Governor, but he wouldn't budge. The law still apply to Beth and if she didn't sign the marriage contract after she turn eighteen, she could be permanently imprisoned...torn from her family and never being able to see them again. The Governor was harsh when it came to people who did not follow his laws no matter how minor. Everyone knew this.

That left the option of having to be married off to a complete stranger. Maggie, Glenn and the others were spending much of their time "shopping around" for eligible bachelors, making connections and in the hopes of ensuring someone that they could trust would take care of Beth. The search didn't have many viable options. Since the marriage law passed, a lot of the decent eligible men have made commitments to other women or were already married.

About a week before Beth's eighteenth birthday, they had gotten very close. Glenn had come across a nice guy name Zach, who was a recent arrival to the area. Beth even had one meeting with him without bringing up the possibility of marriage. But a few days later, he was killed by a walker while volunteering on a scavenger run. Beth felt cursed as if she wasn't meant to have a future with a decent man.

The day of her birthday arrived and there was no celebration...no well wishes. Beth spent the day in her room crying. She knew that the census takers would be arriving at their house for their next check within the week, and that was when they would check to see if she was complying with the law. It soon became clear that her options were now limited to imprisonment or having to give herself to any man out of desperation.

Hershel was just as affected, just as helpless. He couldn't just ask any man to marry his little girl. Yet he knew a lot of men in the West Georgia Territory, who were still unmarried, were not of the pleasant type. They were rough on the outside and still had the same primitive urges they had after the apocalypse started. Losing Beth to prison, however, was still not an option. The following day, he drove to the Walker Patrol post where Rick was stationed. He wasn't sure if talking to Rick would help but he had nothing else.

"I've tried everything, Rick."

Rick sighed. "I wish I could do more for you, Hershel. I haven't forgotten how you saved my son's life."

"Is there any possible way to get Beth around this law?"

"I'm afraid not. The Governor doesn't make loopholes. It's usually his way or you go to Woodbury for imprisonment. I..." Rick started to sound nervous. "I've been hearing things about women who weren't complying the law being sent there...about the Governor's men having their way with them."

Hershel tried to not think about. "He's about as desperate to save the human race as I am to help my daughter."

"The Governor doesn't care about the world population," said Rick. "Just his."

"It's hard to believe there really are no good men left. I feel like we've talked to all of them."

Rick began to ponder. "Well maybe not all of them. There is...one man I know. He and his brother were part of my group before we settled here. They live out in the woods now, keep to themselves. Haven't heard from them in a long time."

"Are they at least decent men?"

"The older one, not so much. Daryl on the other hand...I'd say he's decent enough. You're just gonna have to have an open mind about him."

Hershel got up from his seat. "I never thought I would be this desperate," he said. "Let's go see this Daryl."

...

It was long hour drive out into the countryside until they were nearing the border of West Georgia Territory. The farmlands ceased and soon it was nothing but forest. Walkers could be seen combing through the trees along the road but they were quite scattered. Still it made Hershel worry. It was far too isolated...far too dangerous out here.

They passed a large blood-written sign that said _'Private Property. Keep Out.'_ Finally the car pulled up to the first sign of civilization. The house seemed indistinguishable from the trees due to all the rotting wood. It was as old as Hershel's farmhouse but it clearly did not age well. The windows were boarded up. There was a porch decorated with all manner of animals skins.

A rugged man could be seen on the porch seemingly gutting at a dead possum. But as he looked up and saw the car pulling up to his home, he was not pleased. He recognized the Walker Patrol emblem on car door.

Rick and Hershel came out to greet him. "Daryl, long time no see."

Daryl grumbled. "The hell did my brother do this time?"

Rick shook his head. "Nothin' haven't heard from him."

"Haven't seen him in two days. Thinkin' he's doing another stint in Woodbury."

"I can look into that for you. In the meantime, I want you to meet Hershel Greene."

Hershel went up to shake the man's hand, which was smeared with dried possum blood. This Daryl was far from a class act. "What's goin' on?" asked Daryl.

"We've come to ask for a little favor. Do you know about the Governor's new marriage law?"

Daryl paused and looked at Rick. "Yeah? What's that got to do with me?"

"It's Hershel daughter...they're gonna lock her up in Woodbury unless she finds a man to...take her in."

"Are you shittin' me, Grimes? You come all the way here to ask me to marry some bitch I don't even know?"

"Hey!" Rick grabbed Daryl's arm with a lot of force. "You don't badmouth Hershel's family infront of me!"

But Daryl managed to push him back. "I'll say it again. I ain't marryin' some bitch I don't even know!"

"Mister, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't so desperate," said Hershel. "We've looked at plenty of men for my daughter."

"Then ask one of them to do it."

"We already did," said Rick. "You were kinda our last resort."

Daryl started turning back towards the house. "The answer's no. Now get off my property."

Neither man seemed willing to comply with Daryl's request. "I have a farm. Lots of livestock, crops. I'll give you as much as you want if you sign the contract, take her in."

Daryl glared at Hershel. He knew about the other part of the law and that was much of the reason behind his answer. "I ain't no fool. You expect me to knock her up too?"

"I don't expect anything from you. I just want a chance to hold onto my daughter, to keep from losing her and I trust you, Daryl. Rick says you're a good man." Daryl could tell that Hershel was determined. Asking him, of all people, to marry his daughter really did reek of desperation. Hershel even went as far as to take the papers he held in his hand stretched them to Daryl.

"You haven't forgotten...that everyone wanted Merle out of the group," said Rick. "But I gave him a chance because you asked me to."

"That don't mean I owe you shit, Grimes."

"It does mean we do whatever it takes for family...like Hershel is doing for his daughter. You think about that."

Daryl looked at Hershel's stretch hand for one second but quickly turned away. "Sorry." He stormed back toward his house.

"Come on, Hershel," said Rick. "It's getting late. We better head back."

Daryl was relieved when he looked through the boarded windows and saw the two men in their car drive away. The forest was silent again. As he went outside to take a smoke, his eye caught the sight of a rock on his porch sitting on top of some papers. He picked them up. They were clearly the same ones that Hershel tried to give to him. Was this man serious? Was he really that determined to make him go through with this? Not that it mattered anyway, his family situation was not his problem, consequence or no consequence.


	3. Chapter 3

Hershel felt worn and defeated when he finally arrived home. It was one of the rare times that Beth had even stepped out of her bedroom since her birthday. "Daddy, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Bethy," he said. "I was with Rick, meeting an old friend of his. We thought he would be the one..."

She already knew the answer but she still risked asking. "What did he say?"

"He said 'no'. I'm sorry. I tried my best." Hershel tried to held back tears as he realized that this could be Beth's final night in this house...his final night with his youngest daughter."

...

Daryl had been in a foul mood ever since he found those papers on his porch. He figured he ought to go into town to check on the whereabouts of his brother. But town was his least favorite place to be. He only made brief appearances to drop off animals skins and meat he hunted for trade, and that in itself was rare because he would hunt most of those things for himself. Most of the time he traded with the communities, it was in exchange for gas or booze. He found himself at the Walker Patrol post.

"Daryl?"

"Any news on my brother, Grimes?"

"He robbed a few houses about a week ago. Luckily no one was hurt but he could be doing hard time in Woodbury for a while."

Daryl then dropped some papers on Rick's desk. "That old man you brought to my place left this. I don't think he's gettin' the point."

"Oh I think he does," said Rick. "I told him to leave those papers there with you."

"You what?"

"We were hoping you'd change your mind."

"Hell to that." He turned to walk out the door but Rick still called out to him. "Have you heard what they've been doing to the women who aren't complying with the law? It's a lot worst than what your brother is dealing with right now."

Daryl stopped. In truth he had heard rumblings, only because this wasn't Merle's first troubles with the Governor and Merle was usually full of wild stories about the corrupted capital of Woodbury but in this apocalyptic age, he would take his brother's word for close to fact. He had no idea how Merle was able to get in and out of that place so often when many were taken their for their crimes and never got out. Likely, he got his freedom doing some of the Governor's dirty work.

"I owe everything to Hershel," said Rick. "He's a good man and his daughters...they don't deserve that kind of fate. You should be lucky your brother's stay at Woodbury is just temporary."

Daryl slammed the door but instead of being on the other side of it, he was still in the room with Rick.

...

The next day, Maggie and Glenn arrived on the farm. They knew the day that the census takers would come was fast approaching and they felt they had to be there. Two cars arrived later that afternoon. They bore a Woodbury emblem on the car doors. Two men came out of one car. From the other car was a man that none of the family had expected to see.

"Maggie, take Beth into the house."

"But dad..."

"Please, just do it."

Maggie led Beth back into the house while Hershel stepped off his front porch to confront the arriving men. "Governor, I'm surprised to see you."

"You were practically pleading when you came to see me, Hershel. But laws are laws for a reason and I'm here to make sure they're followed. So, has your daughter found someone to sign the contract with?"

Hershel couldn't hide the truth from a government official. That usually resulted in a death sentence. "No...she hasn't."

"Then I'm afraid, she'll have to come with us."

"She just needs more time. I'll give you anything you want. 90% of my crops..."

The Governor shook his head. "Now you're resorting to bribery? I feel your pain, Hershel. I use to have a daughter myself but the law still stands. Martinez, Shumpert..."

The two men walked by Hershel but as they approached the front porch, someone had stepped out of the house brandishing a shotgun. "You're not coming in here!"

"Maggie!"

"Maggie, no!" Both Beth and Glenn ran outside trying to hold Maggie back as she aimed the shotgun at the two men. "Beth, get back. You're not going anywhere."

Martinez and Shumpert quickly pulled out their guns aiming them at Maggie. "Miss, what you're doing is an arrest-able offense," said the Governor. "You don't wanna do anything stupid."

"Try me."

The situation was getting too intense. Beth pleaded to her sister. "Maggie, please! I'll go with them. Just don't do this."

"I'd listen to her if I were you," said the Governor.

"Just shut up!"

"Put down your weapon!"

The shouting continued until a bang silenced everyone. At first it seemed like someone's weapon had fired. But no triggers were pulled. Everyone could hear a low rumbling sound that seemed to be getting closer to the farm. They turned to see a motorcycle heading towards their direction. As it got closer Hershel was surprised to see that the driver was the same man that he and Rick had visited the day before.

Daryl pulled up to where the standoff was taking place. "Sorry I'm late," he said. "Walker troubles." He got off the bike, and ignoring most of the people there, went up to Maggie as he carried some crumpled papers in his hand. "You Beth?"

"No." Maggie pointed past Daryl. "She is."

When Daryl turned around, he was shocked by what he saw. God, she was so young, practically a kid, and surely half his age at most. She had to have been fresh of 18 or else the law would not have applied to her. And nobody warned him, even informed him of this. At least now, he understood why Hershel and Rick were so desperate, why they even came to him in the first place.

After he handed Beth the papers, there was no turning back.

"Well, I guess everything is working out," said the Governor. "As soon as you sign those, I can notarize it and make it official. Then you two can be on your way out."

"Beth," said Hershel with a heavy heart. "You should sign that inside, and get your things."

The Governor and his cronies seemed impatient wanting the situation to be done and over with. But it was Daryl who spoke up. "Take your time."

Maggie and Beth went back into the house. Beth smoothed out the crumpled sheets of paper. She hoped this day would never have to come. The hand which held a pen was shaking for a long time as she looked over the papers again. It was still the same law. She would have to leave the farm...she would have to live with a man she just met, and she would still have to give him a child in about a year. It didn't make it any better that where she was supposed to sign, her name was already printed there, like the sentence had already been given out. She then look over at the other signature...it was poorly scribbled like a preschooler had sign it, but she could make out the name 'Daryl Dixon' above a line that stated 'proprietor'.

The tears came flowing then. For Maggie and Glenn it was a happy occasion regardless of what the law wanted of them but for Beth, she was basically signing away to be someone else's property. She quickly completed her signature on the paper and then broke down.

Maggie had been behind her and she embraced her sister. "Hey...we'll see each other again, okay?" But Beth had a hard time believing that. Maggie then helped her pack some of her clothes. Then they stepped outside, where everyone was still waiting. Beth hugged her father. "I love you, daddy."

The papers were handed over to the Governor and he notarized them. Daryl was surprisingly patient as he watched Beth say goodbye to her family. When she was inside he and Hershel talked. Hopefully Hershel would make a trip out to visit Beth and her new home soon, but Daryl already knew that she wasn't going to be comfortable with where he was taking her. Her family's farmhouse was a mansion compared to his meager rotting shack.

The Governor and his mean didn't leave until Beth finally got on the bike with Daryl, carrying her bag over her shoulder. She couldn't bear to look back at the farm she could no longer call home.


	4. Chapter 4

**I just want to take this time to say that I am floored by the amount of reviews I've been getting in such a short amt of time since I started writing this, especially since it's my first fic for TWD and my first in a while. It means a lot. I hate to say that updates might be slower than usual from this point on. Most of it is writer's block but it's also other factors. I might have one or two Bethyl one-shots up my sleeve if things go south. Again I really appreciate the love so keep it up.**

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There was so much that Beth had not expected as she was forced by the law to leave with Daryl Dixon. One was that he was much older than she had expected him to be. Was this really the man whom her father said was a friend of Rick's? He looked as if he had been outside of civilization and had been fending for himself for a very long time.

They were both quiet the entire ride which only added to Beth's discomfort. Daryl's home was much too far away from the settlements...too far away from the home she knew. After about an hour, Daryl was turning the bike straight into the woods where the roads were all dirt. From there it was a blur riding through rough hills, dodging trees. It was dusk by the time he finally stopped.

At first Beth thought Daryl was trying to pull a joke on her. But he nonchalantly turned off his bike and got off. He was walking towards the aging shack as it really was his home.

"You comin' or you gonna sleep out here with the walkers?"

Beth grabbed her bag and cautiously followed Daryl into the house. She thought her greatest challenge was the animal skins hanging all over the porch but then she got inside the house and once the lights came on, she was completely overwhelmed. The house was so cramped, she could swore that the whole thing could fit in her old family room. Numerous odors, from God knows what, plagued the air distracting her from the mess she tried to walked through. Daryl tried kicking some of the trash out of the way but it didn't seem to be helping. "Sorry 'bout the mess," he said. "Had I known I was gettin' hitched, I woulda cleaned up." Beth could definitely sense a sarcastic tone in his voice.

He headed over to a small unplugged refrigerator in the corner of what was supposed to be a kitchen, but with so much crap lying around, Beth couldn't tell. There was very little in terms of food and drink unless Daryl were to go hunt now. But it was starting to rain outside so that was out of the question. The small fridge was nearly filled with Merle's beer stash. He only managed to find one measly bottled water in the far back and he tossed it over to Beth. She caught it as she struggled her way over to the couch, the only place there was to sit, though it seemed like someone had been sleeping in it.

Since arriving here, Beth had become too quiet for Daryl's comfort. But how could he blame her? She just lost her home and her family and now she was stuck in this pig-sty with him for probably the rest of her life...all due to some damn law. Not mention the unspoken part of the law which he knew was the whole purpose of everything. To call this a marriage was a complete joke. It was what the Governor had intended it to be...a breeding partnership, the kind of shit that before would only happen in a third world country. In six months time, he would have to screw her until she provided offspring and she could have no position on the matter. It made him sick to his stomach that her only other option, the one he saved her from, would've resulted in her being locked up and having the whole process sped up against her own will.

No doubt it was only a matter of time before she would come to resent him...as if the whole thing was somehow his fault when he had only been pressured and begged into taking part in this mess. Daryl could already tell that Beth was intimidated and uncomfortable around him. It made him feel the need to get defensive. "Hey, I ain't enjoying this anymore than you are!" His tone made Beth jump a little. "Your daddy and Rick...they wouldn't let up till I said yes!"

When Daryl looked back he saw that Beth was on the verge of crying again. So he paced around in an effort to cool down. He couldn't look at her again but instead took a few deep breaths. "Look, I told your dad we would hold off...as long we can. Wait till the last minute if we have to."

Luckily, Beth understood what he meant. "So six months?" she asked.

"Alot can happen till then. Hell maybe they'll get rid of that stupid law and you can go home." In honesty though, Daryl was only saying that to make her feel a little more hopeful about her situation. But for as long as Daryl has been here, he knew the Governor better than that. The madman was often full of ridiculous laws that he and his brother had gotten in trouble for on many occasion. "The bedroom in there's yours," he said pointing to the door on the other side of the cramped space. "Just don't mind my brother's stuff in there."

"It's your brother's room?"

"Only one in the house. Last time I tried to sleep in the bed when he weren't around, I woke up to him punching me in the face. But he ain't gonna be back for a while, so you're fine."

Beth grabbed her bag and cautiously headed to the bedroom. The door barely managed to stay on as she she went opened it and the room itself was ridiculously small. The worn mattress pile took up most of the space. There was an adjacent bathroom but when she looked inside, all she saw was rotting wooden walls and an empty drain.

She climbed onto the mattress to overwhelmed to change into her night clothing. And besides that, the room was a bit drafty. She was surprised that the rain from outside haven't seeped in other than through the cracks of the boarded window. On the other side of the room, she spotted the large tattered Rebel flag hanging on the wall. Beth figured that as long as she was calling this place home, her new brother-in-law would not mind her borrowing it while he was gone and if he did, then to hell with it. She curled herself up in the flag and wiped away the last of her tears.

Although she had not prayed in quite some time, Beth let out a silent prayer...mostly for her father who was now all alone in that big farm house and for her sister and her family. The only thing Beth wanted for herself was for this...'marriage' to work. She had to if she wanted any chance of ever seeing her family again.

...

Somehow, she had fallen asleep only to wake up to the noise of nature outside. It took every ounce of strength within her to get up and out of that room. The living room was empty and lifeless as it was the night before. Daryl was nowhere to be found, not that she cared. There was only a slight change in odor, like that of smoke and realized that it was coming from outside.

On the porch was Daryl, heating some meat over a rusty backyard grill. "Go on then, sit down."

Beth took a seat on the chair right by him as he finished cooking the meat. She could tell that Daryl still felt unpleasant and surly as he was last night. Knowing that this little arrangement was going to keep the two of them at odds for a while, the last thing Beth needed to be to him right now was a burden.

"I don't eat much," she said.

Daryl took one quick glance at her skinny self and smirked. "I can tell." It didn't stop him from putting a large portion of the cooked meat on the plate and handing it to her. A moaning sound could suddenly be heard off in the distance. Beth tried to look out, but it was impossible too see through the fog that formed beyond the porch and she started to tense.

"We're too high up. Walkers rarely get up here. Too steep for 'em to climb, 'specially after it rains."

It didn't seem to be making Beth feel any better. She tried to calm herself by taking a bite of the cook meat. She knew just by smelling it that it wasn't any chicken or pork that she was used to. Whatever it was, she knew she would have to accustom herself to whatever it was she was now chewing on.

Daryl had noticed that Beth was still in her clothes from yesterday. "Didn't sleep last night?"

"I don't sleep much either," she told him. It didn't seem like Daryl believed her lie. He got up and started walking past her. "Gotta go check the walker traps."

"You want me to do anything?"

Daryl grabbed his crossbow and leapt off the porch. "Whatever the hell you want."

Beth quickly tried to weigh her options, follow him or stay. She struggled back and forth with the decision only to realize that Daryl had long disappeared into the fog. No way she would be able to follow him in that mess even if he was still there. With nothing that could be done, she went back into the house alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl's trip was taking longer than Beth had anticipated as she sat alone in that house, unsure of what to do. She feared that something was expected of her. She wasn't a fool. Her role as "wife" meant that she would have to be completely submissive to whatever Daryl wanted of her...or from her. The problem was Beth had no idea what that was yet. She couldn't imagine how any woman could live like this. She never imagined that she would end up living like those women she use to learn about in her history and literature classes from before the fall. But now, with modern civilization nearly vanquished and humanity on the verge of extinction, her role in the world was now taking many steps backwards.

She really wanted to make the best of a bad situation but in this place, it seemed impossible. Her first attempt was to try and do some cleaning. If Beth was going to be stuck here, she might as well make it easier on herself. She focused on a little bit at a time, cleaning out the broken glass bottles that were carelessly scattered all over the place. It took a lot of patience on her part to not try and cut herself in the process, but there was just far too much to deal with.

By the time Daryl had returned, it was late afternoon. Much of the broken glass was gone, but Daryl didn't seem to take notice...either that or he didn't seem to care. He had brought back a dead rabbit and was already skinning it and cooking the meat. "Um...where's your bathroom?" Beth had already discovered the small wooden closet that connected to Merle's room but it seemed like the plumbing had been taken out a long time ago. So she had no idea what the room was even for.

"Use to have an outhouse 'round back...till Merle burned it." He saw Beth get up and realizing her intention, he picked up and gave her one of his hunting knives. "You might want to keep that. Can't be too careful." Beth reluctantly took the knife and walked around the back of the shack. She saw several buckets and containers along the back wall now filled up with water from last night's rain. Not to far away she could see the charred remains of where the outhouse once was. There were plenty of trees and bushes though.

When she returned, Daryl gave her a plate as he did that morning and they ate in silence.

It was apparent that the situation was now becoming routine within the following days. Daryl was gone for most of the day, either hunting or some other form of business in the woods, while Beth spent most of the time trying to clean the godforsaken mess around her or be left pondering her own thoughts. And before and after that, a quiet meal of cooked squirrel...a taste she still struggled to accustom herself to. But the routine was becoming a struggle. No matter how hard she cleaned, she was unable to remove some of the bad smells still lost somewhere in the shack. Without an actual shower, Beth had to drag water buckets into the house so she could take sponge baths in that empty rotting closet. She found herself taking one almost every day given the condition of the place.

With their only other company being the wildlife or the nearby walkers, how could she be expected to bring up a child in an environment like this?

All the while, she and Daryl rarely exchanged words in the limited time they spent together. Sometimes, he would act like she wasn't there. Other times he was aware but didn't seem to take much heed or concern. He would cook for her and then they'd go their separate ways. Lonely as Beth was, she knew that Daryl's rare company didn't make much of a difference.

Over a week since she had been here, there was uncertainty as to whether or not she could keep her sanity together. "'Need your help with somethin'"

She almost didn't believe he was talking to her. "What?"

"On my hunt," he said, stuffing his breakfast squirrel into his mouth. "Gotta bring something big back. Ain't gonna be able to carry it alone."

"Is that it?"

Daryl shrugged. "Yeah. Why?"

Beth shook her head. "Nothin'."

Once they headed out, they were greeted by the massive fog that surrounded their dwelling once more. It didn't seem to phase Daryl having lived here for a very long time and knowing his way around. Beth however, couldn't tell one branch from another and made sure to keep up with the sight of Daryl. In her constant effort to keep up, she kept tripping on things that didn't feel natural. And it seemed that they were traveling a long ways. Daryl seemed frustrated by his inability to locate any of the creatures that he was was hunting for.

"Can I ask you something?" Beth hoped the question was not breaking his focus on his mission. He wasn't even looking at her. "What?"

"Why do you live around here?"

To her surprise, Daryl stopped and turned to look at her with a disgruntled look. "Why's it matter?"

"It doesn't," she said trying to get defensive. "I was just asking why you live so far away from the settlements. They have a lot of empty houses and you don't need to pay much of anything for them."

Daryl stopped and turned to face her with a burning glare. "I don't have a problem payin' anythin'".

"Well, I just..."

"...you what? Gettin' sick of pissin' in bushes and eatin' squirrel? If that's how I wanna live, that's how I wanna live! Ain't my fault you gotta be stuck here without yer fancy farm life, so you best get use to it! Couldn't care less if they'd dragged yer ass to Woodbury..." He walked away in anger. "...spoiled bitch."

The last two words he tried to mutter under his breath, but Beth clearly heard them. As Daryl moved on, she just stood there, her emotions had a complete boil. She considered turning back even though she had no idea how to get back to the house. She was only brought back to reality at the sound of growling. Daryl paused and searched for the direction of the sound. He only had a split second to act when he spotted a walker moving towards him just feet away. "Shit!"

The walker missed him by mere inches but then another walker came through the fog...then another.

"Beth!"

She was already running towards the sound of Daryl and the walkers. "Beth, go back...go back to the house!"

"I can't see! Where are you?!"

"I said get back!"

Daryl was fighting off the walkers but with the fog, he couldn't tell how many there were. Three...maybe five if his eyes weren't fooling him. He already managed to slay two of them when his foot caught on something and he tripped.

Beth gasped as she spotted Daryl through the fog, now rolling down the hill. She used the trees to help her down in pursuit of him. Fortunately, she could only see one walker heading towards where he fell. Daryl was somewhere at the bottom, struggling, moaning in pain.

The walker found him and lounged at him. But in a quick flash, a dagger was struck into its head, the very one that Daryl had given Beth shortly upon her arrival here. She used one hand to ensure the dagger dug itself deep into the creature's brains while she shoving it out of Daryl's way with the other hand. When it no longer moved, she kicked the motionless corpse away from Daryl and then quickly kneeled over Daryl. Smoothing away his hair, Beth could see that his head was badly bleeding. She searched around but was unable to find any bites.

A soft moan escaped Daryl's lips much to Beth's relief. But she could hear the groaning of nearby walkers. They were getting close. "Beth..." Daryl was struggling to get up. "Daryl, don't..."

"We gotta get out of here." Daryl managed to stand up but his knees gave out as he tried to reach back down for his crossbow. Beth was able to catch him just in time and picked the crossbow up for him. "I'll help you."

No surprise that Daryl was a bit too heavy for her to handle but Daryl was able to move his legs to take some of the weight off of her. Still, he knew there was no way he was gonna get out of this situation alive without Beth's help, whether he wanted it or not. "That way..." Daryl stayed awake long enough to point the way for Beth to get back them to the house. He knew these woods blindfolded, unlike her. "Go up."

Helping Daryl up the hill was the hardest part for Beth but fortunately, the shack proved to be in sight. Beth kicked the door open and dragged Daryl passed the cramped living room. Daryl had no sense of where he was until he fell painfully onto Merle's bed. "The hell?" Some of Daryl's blood had gotten onto the mattress. "Merle's gonna kill me."

"You're bleeding and hurt and you're worrying about your brother?" Beth rushed back into the kitchen and came back with a wet rag and a bottle of ethanol. "This was the best thing I could find."

Daryl was not happy that she found the ethanol. It wasn't for purposes of first aid. "Hey! You ain't using that on me!"

"You don't have a choice, Daryl..." Before he could protest any more, Beth applied ethanol to the rag and placed it over the bloody spot on his head. All matter of curses came out of his mouth such that it would've called out every walker in the entire county. Daryl was clenching his fists and taking deep breaths to push away the pain. "...and I'm not spoiled."

"Yeah you are...,"Daryl said in a low mumble. "You got nuthin' good going for ya here."

Beth decided to ignore his last statement not knowing its intended context anyway. Instead she grabbed the Rebel flag and placed it over Daryl. She left to go lie down on the sofa that was shaped for Daryl's comfort. It smelled much like him alright, with that strong nicotine odor. Still, she tried her best to adjust herself into the cushions...allowing herself to adjust to certain aspects of his lifestyle. It was the first step in trying to understand him at the very least.


	6. Chapter 6

**I think I've held up on this story long enough. I warned ya that writer's block can be a biotch. I once again appreciate the reviews and patience though.**

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"Good morning."

Beth knew that Daryl wouldn't be in a cheerful mood. "How's your head?"

"Still shit," he mumbled.

"I went out. Made sure there weren't any other walkers. The only thing I could find to help were some mushrooms."

Daryl looked over at the plate of cooked mushrooms she had in her hand and picked at them. "Not the fun kind, I take it." He eventually brought himself to eat one when they both heard something outside.

"Is that a car?"

"Son of a bitch..." Daryl tried to get up but Beth stopped him. "You hit your head, Daryl. Take it easy!"

"It's that damn census. I gotta get up."

"Okay." Beth lifted Daryl's arm around her shoulder and helped him out of bed. When they stepped outside, they found only Martinez there to greet them. "What do ya got for the Gov, Dixon?"

"Whatever you want from the porch. Take your pick."

Martinez went up to the porch and looked over at the animal skins. He picked up a couple of raccoon skins that seemed to fall apart in his hands. "Are you kidding me, here? This isn't worth shit!"

"Hey, you see this damn thing on my head? I'm in no condition to do any huntin' now."

"Then get your bitch to do it."

Beth could feel Daryl trying to break free of her just so he could take a lunge at Martinez. "Daryl, don't!" He didn't get very far as the pain held him back.

Martinez looked at Beth. "The Gov wants to keep an eye on you two, especially after the stunt your sister pulled on him. If she wasn't already pregnant, she'd be stuck at Woodbury with this loser's sorry ass of a brother."

Beth worried that Daryl would try to do something again and held his arm tightly in place. "Look, Daryl had a run-in with some walkers yesterday. Give us some time to get what you need."

"Okay, but it's on the record." Martinez smirked. "So...how was your wedding night?"

This was now more than Daryl could take. He reached out his free arm to push Martinez back. "Man, just get the hell out!" The realization dawned on the man just then. "You mean you two haven't f*cked yet? The hell, man. He ain't gonna like that."

"We still got six months. So tell him to deal with it. Now beat it!"

Once Martinez was finally gone, Daryl felt more relaxed. "Sorry 'bout that," he told her.

"We're fine. You should go back to bed. Your head is getting worse."

"Sleepin' ain't gonna help me."

"But..."

"Ain't gonna lie, I'm gonna haveta see a doctor."

"Do you know of any around here."

"Just one," Daryl said. "When he's not off the wagon."

...

Daryl was in no condition to operate his motorcycle but he had a truck hidden in some bushes not too far away from the house. He hated that he had to lean against the truck while Beth did most of the work of clearing out the greenery that shield it from view. He only had enough strength in him to drive them both into the nearest settlement but Beth kept a close eye on him to make sure he didn't fall asleep at the wheel. It wasn't as populated as the ones near the Greene farm. Half of the main street that they arrived in was boarded up.

One building was the makeshift office of Bob Stookey who was very surprised to see one of the Dixons on his doorstep. "Uh...aren't you one of those wood guys?"

"Whatever man. Just help me out with this gash here."

"Do you need me to go with you?" Beth asked.

"Damn it girl. Stop worrying about me. He's just gonna give me band-aid or something and I'll be fine."

When Bob took Daryl to the back room another woman came out to greet her. "Are you...Daryl's wife?"

"For what it's worth, I guess," she said. "I'm Beth."

"I'm Sasha...Sasha Stookey now. Sorry if I'm staring, it's just...you're kinda young for a Dixon. How do you two know each other?"

"Well...it's a bit complicated."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess it wasn't a very mutual agreement? Bob and I, we didn't know each other very long before the law passed but he's a nice guy. I get to put him in his place whenever he gets tempted to drink."

Beth was staring a bit down at Sasha's waist the entire time. "How far are you?"

"I got a few months left in me. You look like you two haven't done anything yet."

"We haven't," she said. "We just got...together a week ago. Um...what do you know about the Dixons?"

"Only that this is the first time in a while we've seen one of them. They never come into town unless it was serious...or unless they want to rob us. The older one is trouble. I think you got lucky."

"If you can call it that."

A short while later, Daryl and Bob finally came out of the back room. Daryl had a fresh white bandage covering his head. "He doesn't need any stitches," said Bob. "But I wouldn't recommend doing any hunting or anything strenuous for some time."

"Shit man. I gotta do some huntin'!"

"I'll make sure he takes it easy," said Beth. Bob gave her a bag of painkillers since Daryl was so insistent on them so much. "Don't let him get hooked."

Daryl was grumbling the whole time he drove them home. He hated that he wouldn't be able to do any hunting for a while and he didn't know what the consequences were if he didn't get any good meat and skin for the Governor soon, but he knew it wasn't going to be pretty. When Beth tried to help him out of the truck, he was reaching his breaking point. "Damn it, girl. What are you trying to do?"

"I'm helping you."

"Well stop it. It ain't your job."

"I know," Beth said. "But I'm not letting you go hunting. You're still hurt."

"What are we gonna eat?"

"We can just have mushrooms again. I don't mind it."

Beth got Daryl back into Merle's bed and she cooked up more mushrooms for him. "I keep tellin' ya, you don't need to be taking care of me."

"Is it hard to believe that maybe I want to?"

Daryl mumbled. "Yeah, it is."

"If this is about yesterday, don't worry about it. Hard as it is, I'm glad I didn't have to go to Woodbury."

Daryl seemed to have a look of regret on his face. "Me and my brother, we were in a group with Rick but we didn't want to do anything with the Governor. So we came out here. I didn't like this place but Merle likes it cause it reminds 'im of home. All this land here, it was all nothin' when we got here. But the Governor came around and found us. We gotta pay 'im taxes now. A good kill once a month and he leaves us alone."

"Is that why you needed to go hunting so badly?"

Daryl nodded.

"What do you think he will do if you're late?"

"Hell if I know."

"But your brother..."

"Merle can handle himself. Martinez knows you and I haven't done anything yet. And you know he's gonna tell him. I think we should worry about that."

Beth knew that he was right. Six months was a long time but she wondered if it was really worth holding off the inevitable. For the short time she has gotten to known Daryl, she wasn't enjoying much of what she is seeing. But word would soon get out that they were trying to hold it off. Why get them both in bigger trouble than they already were.

She went into the kitchen. Daryl heard some shuffling noise and wondered what the hell she was doing. She was surprised when she returned to the bedroom holding one of Merle's beers in her hands and started drinking it. "The hell are you doing?"

"Adjusting myself."

"Huh?"

"Do you have anything harder?"

"You're losing me, girl. What is this?"

"I've been thinking..." she said. "We're gonna have to do this eventually. I think we should just get it over with."

"You're kiddin', right?"

"I wish I was." Beth took some more sips of the beer. "Why are you drinkin'?"

"I thought it would help."

Daryl angrily took the beer from her hands now realizing her true intent. "We ain't doin' this."

"But..."

"No! We're not doin' it now and we're not doin' it like this! The Gov can wait."

"Wait till what? When we're both arrested?"

"Will you listen to yourself? I ain't gonna let some law tell me when I haveta get laid. And is this how you want your first time to be? Drunk off your ass with some guy you've only known for a week?"

"Does it matter anymore?" asked Beth.

"I ain't gonna take advantage of ya and I ain't lookin' to. Just leave me alone, will ya?"

Beth left the bedroom distraught. No matter how hard she tried, she can't seem to make Daryl happy. And now her worst fear was that he would eventually give up on this little arrangement. She didn't know what she would do if it ever got to that point.


	7. Chapter 7

Much to Daryl's annoyance, Beth continued to take care of him. She managed her way around his lifestyle to find food, give him his painkillers, and keeping his head wound clean. She would be lying if she said she wasn't feeling a bit awkward after she tried to...move things forward. It made her worry that she was now making things worst between them.

If that weren't enough, she had been hearing strange noises in the middle of the night. Soon she found herself unable to sleep and her eyes peaked at a shadow moving across the room. She realized that Daryl had gotten up but she wouldn't let him know she was awake. He struggled his way around the cramped living room, grabbed his crossbow and went out the door.

Beth waited a while and then stepped outside to follow him. She managed to find his trail leading down the hills into another area of the woods she had yet to tread. It was a meadow. She could see part of it from the house before but this was the first time Beth had actually seen the scope of it. It was very wide and open. But Daryl, once she spotted him was keeping to the bushes looking out. Beth stayed by some nearby trees keeping out of sight.

A deer could be seen not too far away in the meadow and Daryl was trying to lure it closer to him. It was only a dozen yards away. Not too far for an arrow but Daryl needed it to get closer. He tried everything to lure it but the deer wouldn't move. There was rustling coming from the meadow and Daryl could see the shadow of a walker closing in.

Daryl quickly shot at the deer before it could escape. Then he rushed out into the meadow so he could shoot and kill the walker. He hurried back to the deer and tried to lift it but he was having trouble just trying to stand. He was feeling dizzy.

That was when Beth decided she needed to interfere.

"Daryl, what are you doing?!"

"Dammit girl. You shouldn't be here!"

"I'm glad I am. You're not supposed to be hunting right now because of your head."

"I got no time for this." Daryl froze when he saw a light in the distance. "Sh*t! Beth help me quick."

Beth stood there looking angry and confused.

"I'll tell you why later. Just help me. We got no time."

Beth and Daryl dragged the deer until they were out of the meadow and back into the woods. It seemed as though he was trying to get it from sight. Once the deer carcass was behind some large bushes, Daryl made sure it was covered up.

The lights were getting closer.

"Let's get back. We can bring the truck once they're gone."

Daryl and Beth headed back to the house. "Now will you tell me."

"Shh-" Daryl then grabbed a pair of binoculars to look out at the lights that were now heading back into the meadow.

Beth struck him in the shoulder. "Ow. Sh*t!"

"What are you doing?!"

"That stupid deer could be enough to get the Governor off our backs for a while."

"Then why were we in a hurry?"

"Had to keep them from finding out we were huntin'."

"Who?"

"Central guys. We ain't supposed to be huntin' in their territory. That treeline was the border. If they found out I was huntin' on their land, even just a few feet in, they would've killed us both."

"Are you crazy? We could've been killed over a stupid deer?!"

"Hey, I'm tryin' to keep us alive out here."

"This isn't worth risking your life for!"

"Why do you even care?" Daryl snarled then he stormed back into his room. He waited a few hours before taking the truck alone to go get the deer. When he returned to the spot where he hid it, the deer had been completely mauled, by a walker no doubt and it angered him.

He came home just before another car pulled up to the house. Both he and Beth assumed it was Martinez or another one of the Governor's cronies. To their surprise, Hershel and Rick came out to see them. Daryl had never seen Beth run so quickly into her father's arms. He couldn't blame her. The last couple of weeks here had been far too rough on her, mostly because of him.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," said Hershel. "I've been so worried about you."

"You don't have to be, daddy. I've been more worried about you having to deal with that farm alone."

"Glenn and Maggie come by to help. Otis does too. It's nothing to worry about. Why don't you show me around...have a good look at the place."

Daryl muttered a curse. She was really going to show her father around this dump? Really? Hershel already knew what the outside conditions were. He never saw the inside of the place and he thinks it would make Hershel regret giving him his daughter.

"What's all that?" Daryl pointed to the stuff that Rick was unloading.

"Some stuff for Beth. Sheets and extra clothes."

"I meant the crates."

"Mostly corn and soybean with some radishes."

Daryl realized that these were crops from Hershel's farm. "I don't want him paying me. He can take it back."

"Don't consider it payment, Daryl," said Rick. "Consider it a present. I mean, what you're doing for him, I know it was asking a lot but he gets to see his daughter today because of you."

"He shouldn't be thankin' me. I haven't exactly been a warm host to her." He didn't like the way Rick was looking at him. "I swear to God, I haven't touched her yet. I told her we'd hold it off."

"The Governor ain't gonna change that law. It's gonna stick if I know 'im. So if you want my advice, I think you and Beth should try to find a way to live with one another before time runs out."

"It ain't the law, man. You see this place? You think she's got any future here? I haven't been able to pay the Gov what I owe 'im and I still gotta deal with his sh*t."

"Has it really been that bad?"

"Well..." Daryl try to think of something. "She's been asking too many questions."

"I'm starting to think you're part of the problem, Daryl. You're not making it easy for her by reminding her how bad her situation is."

"What am I supposed to do about it?"

"You could stop thinking about what you have to do and start thinking about how you're gonna make her more comfortable here."

The joy that Beth felt from her father's visit was the first time Daryl had ever seen her happy. Hershel then wanted to speak to Daryl alone. "Beth says you've been good to her."

"What?"

"You're just what Rick said you were and that means a lot to me. I can rest a little better knowing she's with you."

Daryl was surprised that Hershel had anything good to say about him. Of course, he hadn't been around to see how he had been treating Beth after everything. It made him feel guilty.

Beth remained optimistic even after Hershel and Rick were gone. When Daryl went back to the bedroom, he found fresh bedsheets on the mattress. The room had been spruced up a bit to give it a more homey feel. Beth cooked some of the vegetables her father brought.

"I could really use some meat."

"Not until you're better," said Beth. "But I'm sorry about your deer."

"It's fine."

"Is it really going to get bad if you don't get one soon?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it."

"Okay but I can still help if you need me to. This involves me too now, doesn't it?"

"I guess." Daryl took a bite of the vegetables. "This ain't bad."

"Really? Cause you don't any salt or spices here. The only thing I could was boil them."

"Alright then. We'll go back into town tomorrow for some. I'm sure I can trade something for it."

"You don't have to do that, Daryl."

"No," he said. "I think I do."

...

Milton was the Governor's man to keeping track of the numbers, the population and the like. He knew the Governor would not be happy with the latest results.

"I'm sorry but it's true," he told them. "Since your law passed, birth rates have only increased by around 20%. Women are taking advantage of the six-month delay or they've jumped the border. I warned you this would be the case as it was."

"It don't matter," the Governor said. "I got it to pass. And where are those women going to go? They don't got organized societies out there like we do here."

"Even so, I don't think the rate will go up as it is."

The Governor's patience was soon weakening. "Alright then, if no one is taking this seriously, we'll have to make some adjustments."

"Adjustments?"

"Speed things up a bit. Six months is too long in my mind. Maybe we'll cut it down to 2 months..."

"Two months? The council won't approve of it."

"They don't have the power you think they do, Milton." The Governor smiled. "If I have to, we'll bring it down to one."


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm sorry folks but this chapter is really really short. I've been so stuck on this story like you wouldn't believe. But because I have a lot of reviews and support for this, I've been pressing on as much as I can. I hope this will bide you while I continue to work on where I shall go with this. Thank you again for the love and patience.**

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By the next day Daryl was showing some signs of recovering. Though he was a bit reluctant to go back into town, he managed to scrap whatever fur and meat he could trade off so that Beth could get the spices she wanted. He was hoping that maybe she could get more than that.

The Dixon brothers had developed a reputation with the eastern settlements and not a very good one. Daryl wasn't use to the idea of being out in public. It didn't help that when he and Beth were shopping, the other people, though few, were staring at the odd duo. He was no lip reader, but Daryl had a feeling that he knew what people were whispering about as they saw them.

"People are staring at us, Daryl."

"Yeah...so?"

"Is it because we're...you know?"

"Probably." He smirked at her. "Or they might be just jealous."

When Daryl went to trade, he felt a little disappointed in himself. His squirrel meat barely covered the cost of a few good spices but not much else. He cursed himself over his damn injury. Half expecting Beth to feel the same, he was surprised to find her looking a bit excited.

"I think squirrel will taste little better with rosemary...maybe," said Beth. When they got home, Beth went to work experimenting with the rosemary and some of the veggies her father brought her. It proved to be a success. As soon as Daryl gave her his approval on the meat, she felt proud of herself.

In a matter of days, Daryl was out hunting again. It was an unusual change of atmosphere but things were feeling a bit more brighter. He was able to eventually pay off his debts to the Governor and Beth managed to turn the shack into a more livable place.

And he was also starting to enjoy coming home to Beth's company.

Beth, meanwhile managed to adapt despite not knowing much about Daryl. So far, the hardest part was going without indoor plumbing. But she reminded herself that compared to other survivors in the zombie apocalypse, she had been living in luxury. If she wasn't within the safe confines of Western Georgia Territory, she'd probably have even less than she did now.

So she adjusted to having sponge baths in the privacy of her so-called bathroom. She heard a door slam and then she began to hear loud unexpected noises.

"Merle stop!"

"What the hell? What d'ya do this place?!"

"I already told you about her."

Merle? Did this mean that Daryl's brother was back? Talk about bad timing.

Daryl called out to Beth in the bedroom. "Beth? You in there?"

"Yeah...um I'm trying to wash."

"Jesus, Daryl! My f*ckin' bedroom!"

"Just get out, Merle!"

Once Beth was sure that the brothers were out of the room, she quickly finished up and changed her clothes. When she came out, she saw Merle for the first time and his face looked crossed but slowly upon seeing Beth he looked pleased. "So this is the ol' ball 'n chain?" He laughed. "Good lordy. You got yerself a l'il girly thing."

She was starting to feel uncomfortable. "So girly, you and Daryl been havin' some fun on my bed?"

"Merle!" Daryl growled.

From the blank look on Beth's face, Merle came to the realization. "Sh*t baby bro. You gotta be the biggest dumbass ever. Every man from here to Central would be all over her right now if they were you."

"I promised her dad..."

"You pussy. Everyone knows it ain't official till ya'v done the deed."

"Just get out, Merle."

"Hey this is my house and my bed."

"Where's Beth supposed to go?"

Merle leaned in closer to Beth. "Well I'm sure she won't mind sharing now that she's a Dixon. Do ya, Sugar?"

Beth looked disgusted. "Um...no thanks. I can find someplace else to sleep."

"No you won't." Daryl stepped in. "Merle ,you were locked up. You got no claim here."

"The hell I do." Merle was quickly on Daryl wrestling him. Beth stood back. "Stop this!" she told them but they had completely ignored her. Daryl was somehow able to break free of the grip.

"Fine," said Merle. "You and wifey can have the stupid room. Just let me get my things from under the bed." Merle angrily went into the bedroom and quickly came out with his stash of drugs and porn magazines. "Have fun with him, Sugar. If he doesn't put his dick in you soon, gimme a call."

Daryl had slammed the door on his brother once he was out. "God dammit!"

"Is he gonna be okay?" Beth asked.

"He'll be fine. He's got other places around here I don't even know about."

Merle grumbled as he headed through the woods towards his makeshift meth lab. He couldn't believe that he got the boot from his own house over a little bitch. Once he heard some nearby rustling, Merle was looking to take his anger out on the approaching walkers. But instead of walkers, men came out. They had to have been from Central. They looked like they were, too.

"Evenin'" said the leader.

"Ain't you boys a bit away from your sandbox?" said Merle.

"I know we ain't supposed to cross the border, but so do your people, right? Because someone was huntin' in our territory a week ago and we don't take too kindly to that."

"Can't help ya there, fellas. I just got outta the slammer this mornin'."

"Well whoever it was had to have been an expert hunter. We found the deer carcass and it look like it was done in with an arrow."

Merle was intrigued. "Really?"

"If ya know anyone who lives around these parts, ya know what to look for." The group of men turned back and headed back toward their land. Merle knew they would be combing the entire woods until they found the man they were looking for.

_'Oh baby bro,'_ he thought. Daryl had truly been up to no good while he was gone. Hunting in Central was not criminal but it was dangerous. The people of Central Territory were a vicious bunch of mostly bandits and ne'er-do-wells...more his type of people. Some say even cannibals lived there. They agreed to steer clear of Western Georgia Territory unless someone were to break the treaty rules. And one of those rules...one with a death sentence...was that you never hunt in another man's territory.


	9. Chapter 9

They hadn't seen or heard from Merle since Daryl kicked him out. Beth was worried but Daryl assured her that he could take care of himself and would not be a bother to them.

That was good in Daryl's mind.

Once in a while Daryl and Beth would try and go make more trades in the settlements, get more of whatever Beth wanted. But it seemed that every visit seemed to be increasing in tension. On one visit many of the buildings had flyers on all the windows and doors, people were gathered around them yelling with such an uproar, Daryl was certain a riot was going to ensue.

"What's going on?" Beth asked.

"Dunno." Daryl was going to risk the dangerous crowds to find out the cause. "Stay back."

He couldn't get close to one of the flyers nor could he comprehend all the yelling.

"Dammit, what the hell y'all bitchin' about?"

One of the angry onlookers explained. "The gov changed the marriage law."

"What? What about it?"

"Says we don't got six months to confirm a pregnancy anymore. We got six weeks."

"Can't be serious."

"I am, man. Been with my wife for four months and hell knows we've been trying. I gotta get her outta here before they find out she's infertile."

Daryl pushed through the angry crowds to read one of those flyers for himself. Sadly everything he was told was true. He hurried back to Beth. "We gotta get home, now. I'll explain there."

Once they got home, Daryl wasn't sure how he was going to explain to her. But Beth knew it was bad because he angrily kicked at a wall until a hole appeared. Then he tried to calm himself. He doesn't want to go back to how they were their first night together. "They changed the law, Beth. We don't got six month anymore."

She understood immediately. "How much time do we have now?"

"Six weeks...from when we signed them papers. I'm sorry."

"But we...a month ago."

"I know," he said. "That don't give us much time."

"What are we gonna do?"

He looked at her. "Dunno."

As if on cue, they could hear a car pulling up to the house. It was Martinez doing his damn census check again. "You heard about the change?"

"I did, man. What the hell?"

"Hey, I'm just a messenger. Gov just wants to have more people and that ain't my problem, thank god."

"What happens if we don't?"

"You kiddin' me?" asked Martinez. "You two still haven't..."

"I asked what'll happen!"

"Same sh*t, I'm guessin'. But if I were you two, I'd just get it over with. No point in delaying the inevitable. Besides we got you in our records. Beth's due to take a pregnancy test in two weeks."

"What the f*ck?!" Daryl growled.

"Sorry man, just here to give you your notice. See ya in two weeks."

As soon as Martinez left, Daryl was angrily kicking at the ground again and Beth could only look on helplessly. The rest of the day was consumed by more tension as they sat on the bed trying to figure out what to do next.

"You know he's right, Daryl."

"So what?"

"I think I'm ready, Daryl...to do my maternal duty...that sort of thing."

Daryl shook his head. "Shouldn't haveta be like this."

Beth frowned. "Of course it shouldn't. But it is what it is. Am I not what you want in a..."

"Beth, it ain't like that."

"Then what's wrong, Daryl?"

He sighed. "What about what you want?"

"I want do want to be with my family again," Beth said. "And I'm willing to do what it takes."

"Maybe you should have somethin' to drink this time."

But Beth shook her head. "I won't need it."

To her surprise, Daryl nodded in agreement. "Okay..."

She leaned in closer to Daryl and studied him for a moment before she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. The feeling sent shockwaves through Daryl who found himself reacting naturally. He didn't think something so brief and so soft would have such an effect on him.

Beth then got up from the bed and went to a corner of the room. Daryl was no doubt studying her intensely as he chewed his fingers. He didn't think a grown man like himself would be as nervous as he was. Little did he know that Beth was feeling nervous to. With her back facing him, she unbuttoned her blouse then proceeded to strip down to her underwear. That was when she stopped to breathe. She didn't want to turn around to see what Daryl was thinking.

Instead, she continued further removing the last of her clothing until she was naked with her back still facing Daryl.

"Hold up."

At Daryl's command, Beth stayed where she was listening carefully to the sounds of Daryl undressing himself. She though she was going to freeze standing there until she felt the heat of Daryl's presence as he now stood behind her. He place his hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him.

They shyly took glimpses at one another before their eyes met again. Beth was a short thing compared to him. She reached her hands out placing them on his chest until she was able to wrap her arms around them.

They kissed again and this time with greater fury. Daryl was struggling to push the reality of the situation to the back of his mind: the fact that she was a virgin, the fact that he hadn't known her very long, ...but moreso, the fact that she was just so young. He hated that history was built on unions like this...all for the sake of making a baby.

And he hated even more that it would cause her pain. She deserved better than that. Yet he couldn't resist how good she felt, how it had been a long time, years before the fall even, that he had felt pleasure like this.

...

She couldn't lie. It did hurt a bit. But she knew that was to be expected and held it together the whole time. Daryl had done his best to ease things for her. Deep down, there really was a gentleman beneath that bitter rugged exterior of a man.

By the middle of the night, Beth felt quite exhausted and sweaty from their consummation. Had anyone told her that her first time would be with someone twice her age she would have laughed at them. Even with the apocalypse she thought surely a normal life could be had. The marriage law changed all of that but in a way, she was a bit grateful. She became more of an adult now for it.

And now she could say that she truly was married to Daryl, in every sense of the word.

There were no words to be said. She curled up closer to Daryl allowing him to fiddle with the strands of her long blonde hair with fascinating curiosity. For the first time, Beth could see a genuine smile across his face.

...

They knew one night would not be enough. There was no guarantee of results and they didn't want to take any chances. An agreement was made...one time a day so at least they could say they tried.

Daryl, with all of his past experience, had never been in a relationship one would call 'sexually active'. With Beth it became a lot harder to resist the ritual.

For Beth, it got better. The pain was gone and she began to enjoy their togetherness as much as Daryl did and not just because of the pleasure.

Outside of bed, they remained together...closer...happier than they had ever been. Daryl waited on Beth hand and foot. He couldn't give her everything she truly wanted or needed but he sure as hell went beyond what he could do.

Their time together was such that the two week deadline came right from under them.

Martinez wasn't there this time but some other dude from Woodbury who arrived on their doorstep with a case filled to the brim with unopened home pregnancy tests.

"Need me to go with you?" Daryl asked Beth.

"I'm okay," she said. "I need to do this on my own." With that, Beth went around the back of the house to the bushes. It was hard to do her business because of how incredibly nervous she was. But once she was done she had to get the pregnancy test back to the census taker. He was required to see the results the moment it happened as part of the confirmation.

Daryl and Beth were unable to do anything except wait out the longest five minutes of their lives. The man wrote something down on his clipboard as he continued to look at the pregnancy test.

"It's positive."

Beth collapsed in Daryl's arms at that very moment...feeling uncertain whether to feel relief or shock by it all. She knew then that she really had become a woman and there was no turning back now.

* * *

**Well I sure do hope this makes up for my lousy update last time when my brain was dead of trying to write. I think I got places to go with this...maybe. I decided I didn't want to go too detailed or smutty with this considering this was their first time after all. Hope you enjoyed it though.**


	10. Chapter 10

For the past weeks since they had shared the bed, Daryl had gotten to know Beth Greene...or should he say Beth Dixon...in all the ways no other person in her life had. He knew what made her giddy, what made her awkward or just react in the most unexpected ways. He never thought she could be that good but she found ways to prove him wrong.

She truly was his now and he didn't know how to feel about that, nor did he know what to do now that she was carrying his baby.

_Sh*t_, he thought.

What did he know about kids? He never had a good childhood or any influence to give him an idea about what he was suppose to do or go about it. Beth only had limited experience with babysitting in the past. He hoped that was enough. In the meantime, he insisted that Beth see Bob again just to for a medical checkup. But for now, there was little Bob could do other than give her some prenatal vitamins.

Merle had returned to the house for one brief visit. When Daryl told him that the deed was finally done and Beth was pregnant, he just laughed. "Oh lord, Daryl. You got screwed over."

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean you took that girl in and put your dick in 'er like you were supposed ta. And what d'ya get outta it? Nuthin'. Don't these things come with dowries? Her daddy got a farm, don't he? He gotta be loaded."

"I didn't want nuthin'."

Merle slapped the back of his head. "You f*ckin' dumbass! No wonder this place gone to sh*t since I left. What ya gonna change the kid with? Coonskin diapers? We're all gonna be starvin' here!"

"We're fine just huntin'."

"I haven't seen a deer around in a while have you?" Merle then smirked. "I bet you can find plenty on the border."

Daryl's eyes widened. "Oh yeah," said Merle. "I know you've been huntin' on Central turf. You're quite the daredevil, baby bro."

Beth had been overhearing much of the discussion to her discontent. "Daryl, what's he talking about?"

"Nuthin' to worry about," Daryl told her.

He felt the less Beth knew the better. Unfortunately Merle had been right. Game had been scarce in these woods. It didn't help that the Governor was adding more "taxes" so whatever Daryl could find and kill was practically worthless in trade. Beth was not going to be able to live on rations in the months ahead. And their home, even with Beth's touch, was still in bad shape. It was no place for bringing up a baby.

His worst fear now was that they really would starve.

...

Beth was surprised when Daryl would not join her in bed anymore. She was starting to wonder if he really was indifferent to her...if all that sex really was only meant to ensure she got pregnant as the law required and nothing more. She thought she meant more to Daryl than that.

But all of that changed when Daryl returned home from a long night of hunting. He told her it was easier to hunt at night when more of the animals were out but Beth couldn't help but think that there was more he wasn't telling her.

It didn't matter though, it seemed his hunting at night was successful. He was getting more game for trade. In time perhaps, they could get some luxury items for the baby. Things like that were becoming less available ever since the law was put in place. With a baby boom on the horizon, necessities could no longer be given out without a good trade.

"Not enough!" Daryl yelled at the trader. "What ya mean not enough?"

"The Governor's been wantin' more of my supplies," said the trader. "I need to make up the difference."

"To hell with this!" An angry Daryl just left his game for the man while grabbing the few potatoes that they were worth. "Sorry I can't get you more than this," he told Beth.

"It's fine, Daryl."

"No, it ain't. The Redneck diet ain't gonna be a good thing for the kid."

"We're just gonna have to manage." Loud noises began to plague the area. Beth and Daryl stepped out of the trading post to find loud angry people clamoring the streets. "Daryl, what's going on?"

The people seemed to be carrying guns and torches as they headed down the end of the street. "That's one of the Governor's posts," said Daryl.

Once the mob got there, they started breaking glass and set fire to the building. The people where chanting "**DOWN WITH THE GOVERNOR!**" The trade post behind Beth and Daryl quickly locked its doors as the crowd grew bigger. This was getting dangerous.

"Stay close," said Daryl. He tried to navigate Beth through the manic crowd but it was proving to be more difficult than he expected. The crowd only spread out a little as a white van pulled up to the post and the Governor stepped out with a megaphone. "You have one minute to disperse! Return to your homes!"

After a few seconds it was very clear that the mob was not going anywhere and resorted to throwing things at the Governor and his men. The back of the van opened up and two men came out holding walkers to leash poles. The presence of the walkers scared the mob back a few feet. But they remained strong and angry. "Break out the tear gas," the Governor ordered.

One of the men threw a silver can into the crowd and a mist began to appear. There was screaming and then gun shots. "The walkers are loose!"

Daryl quickly pulled Beth towards one of the buildings. "Come on, we gotta get off the street!" They tried to get into the nearest building but the door was locked. Any other buildings required fighting through the panicky and stampeding crowds. They managed to squeeze their way into an alley where Daryl shielded Beth until the chaos died down. The entire time, all they could hear were gunshots and screaming.

They didn't bother to take a look at the carnage. Once they got a clearing, Daryl and Beth quickly headed home.

...

When night came, Daryl stepped outside and could see the glow of several fires in the distance...all of them coming from the nearby settlements. Beth had stepped outside to join him. "Daryl? You going hunting tonight?"

"Nah," he said. "Not tonight."

"What do you think's going on down there?"

"A lot of sh*t. Governor's losing control of everything." He led Beth back into the house and they climbed into bed together. The violence in the communities was spreading and it could reach the woods before either or them knew it. It was no longer safe to stay here.

The next morning Daryl woke Beth up. "Hey, pack what you can. We're leaving."

"What? Where are we going?"

"We done our part. No reason to stay here no more," he said. "Think it's time for you to head home."

They got on Daryl's bike and sped their way past a good number of walkers. They had never seen so many of them in the area. The settlements weren't much better as many of them were either up in smoke or had people rioting. As they moved further west, things started to calm down but neither of them were sure how long that calm would last.

Beth was beginning to recognize the familiar roads they were traveling. It had been nearly two months since she left but she could tell much had changed on the farm. The crops weren't thriving like they used to, especially with Hershel having the work the fields by himself most of the time. There wasn't as much livestock roaming the grounds, either.

They pulled up to the house. People began to pour out, beckoned by the noise outside of Daryl's bike.

"BETH!"

Beth got off the bike and quickly ran into her sister's arms. "Oh my god. Maggie, you're going to burst!"

"Just as long as you're not calling me fat," said Maggie. "What are you doing here? I thought I'd never see you again."

Hershel came and hugged his daughter. "It don't matter," he said. "You should all come inside."

Daryl felt a bit uncertain about entering Hershel's farmhouse but Beth made him feel very comfortable. The whole family had dinner together. Glenn was there to talk about how nervous he was about Maggie's approaching delivery date. Beth realized that she would have to eventually tell her father about her own pregnancy and she wasn't sure how he was going to take it.

After dinner, Maggie and Glenn went home. They talked about the riots that were happening in the east and why they came to the farm. "I'm worried the Governor will find out you're here," said Hershel.

"It won't matter," said Daryl. "We ain't his concern no more."

"You sure?"

Beth attempted to search for her courage. "Yes, daddy. It's...we've done it. I'm pregnant."

Hershel was shocked. "Oh...Bethy."

"It's okay, daddy. It was my choice."

Daryl was nervous when Hershel looked back at him. "I understand," said Hershel. "It's been a rough time for all of us. I'm just glad to have my daughters nearby again."

"It ain't safe to go back," said Daryl. "Dunno if we even can."

"Well you're both welcome to stay under my roof. There isn't much to go around like there used to be but you are family."

That made Daryl a little better to hear. "You know, I was thinkin'...if we're gonna stay here. I could help you out with your farm, whatever you need. I don't eat much. I can hunt my own food whenever I want."

"Won't you miss your old home?" Hershel asked him.

"Nah. Merle can have it."

At that moment Beth jumped into Daryl's arms and kissed him.

...

They went to bed that night in Beth's old bedroom. It was the happiest Daryl had seen his wife and if she was happy then so was he.

They slept in a bit longer into the next day until Daryl got dressed. "I'm gonna head back and get a few things...talk to Merle."

"I'll go with you," said Beth.

"Forget that. You just got back to your dad. Last thing you wanna do is up and leave. Take it easy here. I think you've earned it."

Daryl kissed Beth. He wanted her to settle back into her own home and enjoy being with her family again. He would handle all the dangerous stuff. The violence in the east hadn't settled but it hadn't worsen either.

He didn't know if Merle would be around or if he was off doing whatever it was Merle did...or was just doing drugs behind the shack. "Merle, ya home?"

A moment later, he heard a snap and was suddenly shoved to the floor. He counted about five strangers, armed to the teeth, surrounding him and then beating him until he could no longer lift up his head. The barrel end of a rifle against his head made sure of that.

"Well lookie here, boys," said one of the men. "I do believe this is the man who's been huntin' in our territory. What do ya think we should do with 'im?"


End file.
